February 2025
Mentor, the global leader in breast implants for aesthetic and reconstruction, has developed a new and easy to use simulator for patients to better visualize aesthetic outcomes. It is simple to use, and while not perfect, can help patients get a better idea of what they can expect post breast augmentation. It involves the patient taking a couple of pictures on their phone and then putting those pictures into the app. You can then modify the volume and see the projected results from all angles in a 3D simulation. You cannot program in the different styles and profiles of the implants yet, but the projected results can provide surgeons with a better idea of the patient's ideal look and can then use their experience to figure out which style and profile of implant will match that appearance in the given volume desired. The app is free to download and pretty intuitive in its use. Below are links for the App and directly through Mentor's website
Mentor Visualizer App
Breast Implants By Mentor
The yearly plastic surgery statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (plasticsurgery.org) for 2023 have been released, and the trend of non-invasive procedures continues to grow, especially among younger patients trying to prevent unwanted changes earlier. It is estimated that 9.5 million patients received Botox/ neuromodulators and over 5 million received fillers. These are both up roughly 10% from the previous year. Most of this is influenced by social media and what is pushed to younger people online. Five years ago, it was rarer to have patients in their early to mid-twenties come in for Botox, filler, etc. Now it is commonplace. Unfortunately, like many things through social media, there is often skewed and unrealistic expectation on what the non-invasive procedures can actually achieve based on curated and altered results pushed by companies and influencers. As far as surgical procedures, liposuction and breast augmentation continue to lead the way with roughly over 300,000 patients undergoing each of those procedures. Contrary to what social media will have you believe, breast augmentation continues to be one of the most popular procedures, and the narrative that more and more women are taking their implants out does not correspond to the actual procedure numbers. For the full report is included below.
plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2023.pdf
The first botulinum toxin to hopefully provide longer results than three months has been approved by the FDA for use. Currently there are four different botulinum toxins on the market - Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau. They are all similar products and last three months on average for 95% of patients. Daxxify is the newest one to come to market and the seems to be able to provide up to 6-9month results in some patients. They are currently planning the full launch within the next few months and this will provide a great option for many patients. Once it becomes available to all providers, we expect that it will supplant the other manufacturers for many patients.
Dr. Chris was named Top Plastic Surgeon in the Chicagoland area by the Daily Herald in their readers polling. The Daily Herald has a readership of over one million people, so to be recognized by the readers is exciting and validation of the time and effort we put into each patient.
The FDA has placed a moratorium on Allergan/Natrelle textured breast implants and tissue expanders. After FDA hearings and a few months of additional data collecting, the decision was made to follow the European Union and South American countries in halting their sales for now. This does not mean that patients with a textured Allergan/Natrelle implants need to have them removed/ replaced automatically. However, those patients should have a conversation with their surgeons about the risks associated and whether the implants should be exchanged. We have used a few Allergan textured implants for breast reconstruction patients in the past, but the overwhelming majority of implants used in out patients are Mentor smooth implants. If you have any concerns or cannot remember which implants you have, please feel free to give the office a call and we will find that information for you if possible.
The plastic surgery community and the FDA continue to be diligent with identifying and tracking reported cases of BIA-ALCL, as well as monitoring adverse events related to breast implants. The most recent update from the FDA reports roughly 800 documented cases worldwide. BIA-ALCL ( breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma) is a rare lymphoma that can occur in the scar tissue capsule surrounding a textured implant ( not the breast itself). The presentation of a patient with ALCL around the implant is someone that has ( or had) a textured shell implant and develops fluid build-up years later around the implant. There have been NO reported cases in patients that have had only smooth shell breast implants ( the overwhelming majority of implants used). The treatment in most cases has been to simply remove the implant and scar capsule. Currently, the suspected occurrence rate in women with a textured implant in the US is anywhere from 1:3000 to 1:80,000 depending on the type of implant texturing. In a smooth implant, the suspected occurrence rate is 1:5,000,000 + since there has not been a documented case in a smooth shell device.
Mentor has added a new range of silicone implants to their product lines that can help provide more fullness and maintain shape while still keeping the soft and natural feel of their existing implants. They are called the BOOST implants ( Moderate Plus and High Profile) and were launched in the spring of 2022. After using a lot of them in the past six months, the results are very positive at the long term post-operative time period. They feel soft and natural while providing more shape for those patients who want a little more fullness in the upper part of the breasts.
Out of London, a group of plastic surgeons has identified what is most commonly seen as the ideal breast size and shape. With roughly 1300 participants in the study, the perceived ideal breast shape was more of a natural look. This is not surprising at all, since 95% of our patients who come in for a breast augmentation all say the same thing - they want to look good and restore/ enhance their volume, but still look pretty natural. The common media portrayal of breast augmentation patients are that women want to look round and fake, and that men prefer that as well. This is far from the truth and good to see actual data to support this. http://news.health.com/2014/11/04/what-the-perfect-breast-looks-like-according-to-men-and-women/
We work with Carecredit (www.carecredit.com) for patient financing. It is the largest patient financing company and is a division of GE. The American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) has developed a partnership with them to make it easier for patients to obtain financing for both aesthetic and reconstructive surgeries. The application process is easy and can be done online. We have had a lot of positive repsonses from patients on the ease of the application and the terms of the loans.
Case of the Month
The patient is a 31 year old female who is 5'5 and weighs 135lbs. She originally underwent a dual plane breast augmentation and revision to increase her size years ago. The patient was very happy with her results, but over time, the patient felt that she wanted to look more proportional with her frame and natural appearing. She underwent a breast implant exchange from 800cc Ultra High Profile implants to 430cc Moderate High Profile implants and internal pocket stabilization to stabilize the smaller implants in the larger existing pockets. She is now five years out from surgery and extremely happy with the results so far.
